Vacuum cleaning tool



. Dec. 6, 1927. 4 1,651,894

.G. E. KENT ET AL VACUUM CLEANING TOOL Filed Aug. 30. 1924 Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNIT so STATES 1,651,894 NT OFF! GORDONE. KENT AN D EBEDW'. YUTZLER, OF HOME, YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE KENT COMPANY, INC., ROME, NEW YORK, A CORPORATIONOE NEW YORK.

VACUUM CLEANING root.

Application. filed August 30; 1924. Seria1=No. 735;092;

Thisinvention relates to vacuum cleaning apparatus and more particularly to tools adaptedtobe attached to the end of a flexible hose for removing dust from different articles. Y

The invention has particular reference to vacuum cleaning tools adapted for use in stores for cleaning the-.merchandise and particularly articles that would ordinarily be picked up by the suction in the cleaning A. further objectiofthe. invention isto pro videa tool oicomparatively simple construction that will be convenient and efiicientin operation and. adapted for rapid work..

@ther. objects of. the. invention and the features of. novelty, will be apparent from the following description, taken. in. connection. with the. accompanying drawings, of

which I 1 r Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. through a vacuum cleaning tool. embodying our invent-ion, the. tool being shown inconnection; with: the. representation of! the. hand of the operator, and. a tray of merchandise.

2 is an end. elevation of the tool shownv in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of.

the. same tool,.parts.=being shown. in section and the. valve being in. a. different position from that shown in Fig.1;

4:. is a. section on. the line 4-4: of Fig.3;

Fig.5 is a sideielevation of another form of tool embodying my. invention and Fig. 6 isalongitudinalsection ofthe same shown in connection. with: a. cleaning nozzle.

Referring to. the drawings, 10' indicates a I tubular casing, preferably of rectangular cross-section having openings at. its upper and lower ends,,the upper end being preferably out on a diagonal tothacxis ofthemasing, as indicated at 11. The lower end ofthe casing is provided with. a screen 12 which may have meshes about one-sixteenth of. an inch. square, 'although'the size of the meshes will bedetermined by the: size of. the. articles to be cleaned, it being the purpose of the screen toprevent'the articles,'that-are being cleaned, from beingdrawninto the casing;

A. tubular extension 13 is secured to-one side of" the casing 10 and preferably projects; intothe casing a short distance, as indicated at 14'. Th6"6XtI1SlOI1iI3 is. preterablyot circular form: and; adapted to be connected' toa hose '15- which forms a part of 1 the vacuum-producing apparatus; The ex- 1361181011 13 also serves as a. handle for. the

tool permitting ittobe gripped by thehand of the: operator, asindicated in Fig. 1-. A

valve 1 6 v is arranged in the .upper part otthe casing 10, having small ears 1-7 on opposite sides bymeans ot which it is pivoted or hinged; in, the casing, a pivot being indicated.

at 1 8. llhe upper end. ot-the'valve 16 has acurvedextension 19 which projects through the opening in thenpper end otthe casing- 1O and is adapted to beengaged by the thumb of. the operator for. thelpurposeot actuating; the-valve, as indicated in. Fig. 1.

Thevalve. 16 is preferably-'made'of a piece of flat'metali and is adapted to swing from theposition shown in Fig.v 1, where it closes the opening at theu'pper end of the casing,

tot-he positionshowneinFig. 8, where it seals the endot the extension 13.

In theoperationof the tool showni Figs. 1.. tot the. screened. lowerend of the casing 10 ismovedover the articles to be cleaned,, the? operator pressing on the handle 19 of thevalve tohold it in. the position shown in Fig. 1 which permits .air. to be drawn through. the screened lower end of the tool and discharged. through the extension 13 to the: vacuum producing' apparatus. A tray 7 fin: merchandise isindicated at ZOinFig.

1 andqat2l we haveindicatedsmall articles of. merchandise suchas screws,cbolts or other small articles commonly found in a fiveand. ten-cent store. The suction tends to. pick up small articles and they are prevented, by thescreen.12:,.from passing through thecasing. 10. and into-the vacuumsproducingapparatus. When the tool has-been: movedover the articles in. a tray someof the articles will be found. toiadhereto. the screen12, and, in order to. release these articles and prevent them: from being. mixed. with. articles or"- a different. kind in another tray we have pro-- v vided the valve 16. When the cleaning of any particular tray has been finished, the operator lifts his thumb from the handle 19, thereby permitting the valve 16 to swing to the closed position, shown in Fig. 3, which 12 is very much restricted by the articles'being cleaned, so'that the atmospherlc pressure. will'move the valve away from the position shown in Fig. 1 and the current; of air thereby admitted through the opening 11 will carry the valve to-the closed position.

This will release the articles from the screen 12 and permit them to drop back into'the tray in which they belong. The tool is'then moved to another tray and" the operator presses on the handle 10 to return the valve '16 to the position shown in Fig. 1 which again opens the interior of the casing 10*to the suction action and causes 'air' to flow through the screened lower end of the caslng.

= We havefound that it is frequently de-f sirable to have various forms of cleaning nozzles to. suit the requirements for cleaning 1 different kinds of merchandise and in order to have our invention meet this condition we have illustrated a modification of the in- {vention in Figs. 5 and 6. In this form of the invention there is a casing 22, preferably of rectangular cross-section and havingon opposite sides extensions 23 and 24. One-of the other sides has'an opening .indicated at 25, the wall 26 on this side of the casing: being preferably deflected. inwardly dering or in any other suitable manner and preferably extend a short distance into the casing in the same manner as the extension 13in the form of the invention' first de- "scribed. At 27 we have indicated a cleantension 24c we provide a special form of locking nozzle which has atelescopic connection withthe extension 24. It will beunderstood that the nozzle indicated at 27 -may represent any one of a variety of shapes of nozzles, each of which is especially adapted for cleaning a particular class of merchandise but all of such nozzles will have their openend, which is moved over the articles to be ranged'on the inside of the end of the nozzle 28 andhaving a'projection 31 'on'one side which extends through an opening 32in the wall of the nozzle, for cooperation withthe interior of the bead 29. This form of se-' curing means normally holds the parts together but permits them to be readily separated when desired.

. Within the casing 22 there is a valve 33,

similar to the valve 16, and having ears 34 by means of which it is mounted on the pivot pin; 35. The valve 33 has an extension 36 by means of which it may be actuated. In V nation of a casing having hollow connecting means adapted to beattached to vacuumproducing apparatus and to serve as a'handle for-the tool, an opening in saidcasing through which dust-laden'air is drawn into the casing, a second" opening in said'casing through which the interior of the casing communicates with the external atmosphere, and a valve hinged in said casing so as to be capable of swinging from a. position clos- HigSfild second openmg to a posltion closlng said connecting means, and said valve having a handle onthe outside of said casing whereby the valve may be conveniently operated by the operators thumb when the operator holds the tool by said connecting means. r 7

2. In a vacuum cleaning tool, the combination of a tubular; casing of substantially rectangular cross-section having av tubular 1 extension on one side adapted to-beattach'ed as shownin Fig. 6. The extensions 23 and 24 are rigidly secured to the casing by sol is drawn into the casing, a second opening in said casing through which the interior of .the casing communicates with the external atmosphere, and a valve hinged in said casing so as'to becapableof swinging from a position closing said second opening to a position closing off said tubular extension from the interior of. the casing, and-said valve having a handle thereon projecting through said second openingand overlying said tubular extension.

3. In a'vacuum cleaning tool, the combination of a casing having tubular connecting means adapted to be attached to vacuum producing apparatus, said casing having an opening in its wall through which the interior ofthe casing communicates with the external atmosphere, a valve in said casing close said opening or said connecting means, a tubular extension through which dustladen. air is drawn into said casing, and a nozzle having a screened opening'for cooperating with the articles to be cleaned,

operable from the exterior and adapte'dto I said nozzle being detachably connected with said extension.

1. In a vacuum cleaning tool, the combination of a casing having tubular connecting means adapted to be attached to vacuumproducing apparatus, a screen through which dust-laden air is drawn into the easing, said casing having an opening in its wall through which the interior of the casing communicates with the external atmosphere, and a valve in said casing having a pivot so located that the valve is actuated by a current of air entering said opening to close off communication between said screen and said connecting means.

5. In a vacuum cleaning tool, the combination of a casing having tubular connecting means adapted to be attached to vacuumproducing apparatus, said casing having an opening through which dust-laden air is drawn into the casing and a second opening through which air is adapted to flow into said casing, and a valve in said casing mounted on a pivot that is so located that the valve is adapted in one position to close said second opening and in another position to close ofi' communication between the firstmentioned opening and said connecting means, said valve being movable from the position in which it closes said second opening to the position in which it closes off com-V munication between the first-menti0ned opening and said connecting means, by atmospheric pressure and a current of air flowing through said second opening.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures.

GORDON E. KENT. FRED W. YUTZLER. 

